Australian Casinos Hit By New Wave of Closures Following COVID-19 Surge
Casinos in Australia have been hit with another way of closures after a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. As of June 28, Sydney’s “Bondi cluster” has crossed 100 cases, and as a result, more local government areas in the city have been added to the COVID-19 hotspot list.
Greater Sydney is now implementing the strictest lockdown, with the worst yet to come according to officials. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said they’re anticipating a further rise in cases in the next few days, considering the strain’s high contagion rate.
The Bondi cluster has now spread to other states, including Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, as well as Queensland, with several regions and cities now placed under lockdown.
Apart from Sydney, three additional capital cities are now under lockdown, including Brisbane Perth, and Darwin.
A number of casinos have temporarily shut their doors, including Mindil Beach Casino Resort in Darwin which will remain closed until at least July 2.
Following the detection of three positive cases in Perth and Peel, both regions have also gone into lockdown since Tuesday. Gaming activities at Crown Perth will remain suspended until Friday.
ABC News (Australia)
Crown Sydney’s food and beverage as well as conferencing facilities are also currently closed, but at Crown Melbourne, restrictions have already been eased, with its hotels, bars, and restaurants now operational. The casino is currently accepting up to 300 customers per indoor space, with table games and gaming machines keeping a distance of 1.5m from each other.
New restrictions are now being implemented at The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane in Queensland. All persons entering both premises are now required to wear a face mask, and only one person is allowed per four square meters indoors. Guests and patrons should also remain seated while eating or drinking. Effective 4pm on June 29, The Star Gold Coast’s casino and restaurants have been temporarily closed.
Fresh Uncertainty in Australia
Authorities are currently actively conducting tests to promptly prevent the virus from spreading further. Over the weekend, over 52,000 tests were performed in Sydney, some of the highest since the pandemic began.
As of this writing, millions have been placed under lockdown or strict restrictions across the country, with Sydney, where the Bondi cluster originated, being the worst affected. The casino industry is once again expected to suffer significant losses with this lockdown.
David WalkerAuthor
David is our resident 'down under' contributor, letting us know what is going on in the southern hemisphere, he is also keen blackjack player
